"The federal agency that’s been front and center in warning the public about tainted spinach and contaminated peanut butter is conducting just half the food safety inspections it did three years ago."

"Between 2003 and 2006, FDA food safety inspections dropped 47 percent, according to a database analysis of federal records by The Associated Press.

FDA ‘just can't manage the job’That’s not all that’s dropping at the FDA in terms of food safety. The analysis also shows:

* There are 12 percent fewer FDA employees in field offices who concentrate on food issues. * Safety tests for U.S.-produced food have dropped nearly 75 percent, from 9,748 in 2003 to 2,455 last year, according to the agency’s own statistics."

As consumers increasingly demand more transparency and accountability from food producers, I find it disturbing that inspections of food imports and enforcement of existing regulations are dropping. All the more reason to buy locally grown/produced products, and to do a little background research into the brands and companies you support.

It's just started and looks a real treat. I'll post updates as the discussion continues. Thanks, Sam!

I thought both the lecture and following discussion in "The Past, The Present, The Future of Food" were great. Thanks again to Sam for the web cam link on Becks & Posh, and to Shuna for the heads up on Eggbeater.

John Mackey presented a somewhat disjointed, but ultimately highly compelling, argument for the flaws in organic agriculture and taking it to the next level with sustainable, environmentally sound practices, third-party certification processes, and increased consumer awareness. Despite the large number of Whole Foods plugs - he is the CEO after all - there was a lot of value to be gained from what he had to say.

Michael Pollan was slightly more disappointing. I expected him to ask harder questions, but he threw Mackey a number of softballs. This can probably be attributed to their long correspondence, but I think it's telling when the hardest questions posed this evening were from the audience. I'm annoyed that Pollan cut the audience questions short after two in what I saw as a response to the hard time Mackey was having with them. In the entire two hours, I thought the most honest answers came during those first two questions, when Mackey was trying to think on his feet. Continuing with audience questions would have added greater value to the discussion, a good portion of which was a sales pitch for Whole Foods.

Overall, "The Past, The Present, The Future of Food" was a great experience. I'm glad I got to watch, and I think UC Berkeley did a great service by making it available live online. It's the only way I could have attended from Southern California.

Keep reading for the notes I took and posted in real-time during the presentation.

-=Addendum 7:15pm=-

Looks like John Mackey will get 45 minutes to talk about the Whole Foods philosophy and to rebut the Omnivore's Dilemma before he and Michael Pollan begin their back and forth dialogue. Mackey seems articulate and quite intelligent.

(He's moved on to agribusiness, although before he "attacks it", he's spending a few minutes to defend the advantages gained though modern agribusiness.)

Problems:* Pollution* Cheap food resulting in obesity.* Increased productivity of animal food in trade for degradation in animal welfare and husbandry.* Livestock in US consumes enough food to feed 2 billion people or a third of the planet's population.

(He's taking a break to take a show a video about factory farms. It's incredibly graphic and moving. I'm considering re-adopting the strict vegan practices in a traditional Buddhist diet.)

(Oh god. I think I'm going to be sick.)

(I have no words. I just... have no words.)

-=Addendum 7:41pm=-

Mackey has started covering ecological agriculture and its advantages over agribusiness.

Artisan foods and regional cuisines* Detrimental effects of fast food.* Death of artisan food and regional cuisines.* Slow Food movement.* Whole Foods - Feature artisan foods in all stores. - Searching out local food artisans to feature in stores. - $30 million VC fund to use to invest in unique food artisans around the planet.

Early organic movement* Health of the soil - Healthy soil = healthy food = health people* No standards when Whole Foods started. - No certification. - No standards. - Many con-men in the beginning of the organic fields. - Communes and gun cults.* Big organic farms are not necessarily bad. - Big farms converting. + Don't necessarily embrace the philosophy. - But big farms can be responsible and good for the environment.

(A lot of touting for Whole Foods, but some good information nonetheless.)

-=Addendum 7:22pm=-

Facts and figures around the world. The bottom line is that the US doesn't have enough land dedicated to organic agriculture. Since demand in the States is outstripping supply, many of the organic products are being imported.

Organic farming has inadequate animal welfare standards. Missing sound ecological principles in favor. Rating system needed to differential quality of organic producers for consumers. Mackey is proposing the institute such a ranking system using the muscle of Whole Foods.

Breaks down fossil fuel costs in food consumption. 10% is spent by consumers cooking the food. Sometimes shipping in food burns less fuel than transporting local products. Depends on the method of shipping.

Whole Foods has floated a number of loans to local food producers to the tune of $10 million a year.

-=Addendum 7:54pm=-

Buying foods produced in the third world helps reduce poverty. Farm subsidies in the US or EU and hurting small farmers in other parts of the world. The average farmer in the third world lives on less than $1 a day. The average cow in the EU receives over $2 a day in farm subsidies. This is why Whole Foods supports Fair Trade.

Corporations aren't evil. Conscious capitalism can be a force for good.

(Mackey had some very interesting ideas in regards to using a large company to do good, and I'm glad to see he's putting his money where his mouth is by implementing them.)

-=Addendum 8:07pm=-

(Discussion begins!)

Michael Pollan is marveling at the popularity of this topic. Wonders what Mackey's thoughts are on it.

Mackey believes the movement has reached a tipping point in mass consciousness. Believes that the quality, organic food revolution needs to happen now if it has any chance for success. However, there will be pushback from established agribusiness whose revenue sources will be threatened by the movement.

Mackey: Regulate through legislation; waste production and animal cruelty/animal welfare.

Pollan: (Mackey) believes feedlots could be extinct in 20 year. Path to reach that goal?

Mackey: A lot can happen in 20 years. Crystallization of issue in collective consciousness. More alternatives will become available. People are being purposefully blind towards animal welfare since they don't see alternatives other than becoming vegans or vegetarians. As more alternative, humane sources of animal products become available, public outrage will shut down factory farms.

Pollan: Any current sources of humane animal products?

Mackey: Minimal ones. Most existing organic producers are "one star" producers, meeting the minimal, strict government guidelines for the organic label. There are very few producers that do more.

Pollan: Grass-fed beef?

Mackey: Trying to get it to the consumer, but still building up the industry.

-=Addendum 8:19pm=-

Pollan: Inaccuracies in storytelling fliers by producers in Whole Foods.

Mackey: Not deliberate. Whole Foods doesn't vet the content of the fliers.

(Nice dodge, Mackey!)

-=Addendum 8:25pm=-

(Damn! My web cast from Berkeley just cut out. Hope I can get it up again.)

-=Addendum 8:31pm=-

(Sweet! I'm back on! Still paraphrasing.)

Pollan: Competition? Wal-mart?

Mackey: Wal-mart has never affected Whole Foods. Trader Joe's is the biggest competitor, so Whole Foods has been price-matching their products. Competition is good. Keeps you on our toes and forces you to grow.

Pollan: Whole Foods has gotten the public to pay more for food. Culturally, Americans pay too little for food. Changing American focus from quantity to quality. How does Whole Foods resist pressure from Wall Street to compete on price?

Mackey: Are price matching with Trader Joe's, but quality does cost more. If you're going to support artisan food producers you're going to pay more. You get what you pay for.

Pollan: Won't falling prices hurt food producers?

Mackey: Local producers have a number of virtues and advantages, and local foods will continue to grow. Americans are absolutely willing to pay more. What's Pollan's vision about the future of food?

Pollan: One of the nice things about being a journalist is that you don't have to have one (point of view). It's difficult to advocate policy as a journalist.

Pollan: The decisions should be harder and should be a struggle. People should have to think through their food choices. Wherever they come out will be better than where they were before. Mackey advocates conscious capitalism. I advocate conscious eating. There's too much land devoted to corn. More should be used to support grass-fed beef. Need thousands of competitors, thousands of ideas. Organic agriculture is unsustainable. Need something in place once it collapses. Transparency in food production is crucial. If the consumer has complete transparency, food producers will clean up their acts.

Mackey: I share that vision. Something Whole Foods will start working on.

Mackey: (joke. long pause) Whole Foods refuses to sell endangered species, but internally, there are difficulties getting agreement within the company. Locating sustainable fisheries has been an issue. Deeply, personally concerned about this issue. Whole Foods needs to do more. Can't stop selling fish, since that will drive consumers to other stores. Best solution to sell sustainable species and to educate customers.

(Tough question. He flubbed it a bit, but was able to pull together a good answer.)

Pollan: Costs more to eat well. Least healthy calories are the cheapest. Diets of people with money are being approved. How do we make healthy foods available to the less fortunate?

Mackey: Economy continues to grow, and statistically Americans are getting wealthier overall. Americans only pay 8% of their disposable income for food. Compare to 40 years ago or to Europe. We have a culture where people are willing to spend $4 at Starbucks for a latte. They should be willing to spend the same on a bag of organic rice. If you're willing to cook, food isn't that expensive.

(Pollan has stopped asking questions from the audience, possibly due to how much trouble Mackey was having with them.)

Mackey: Whole Foods limiting imports from China because consumers are concerned. But, China is just a whipping boy. The US has historically had a nation that it's feared; England, Soviet Union, Japan, Arab nations, and China. China has a great culture and is just returning to the position it's traditionally held in the world. Whole Foods is very careful in purchasing, and requires third party certification for all products.

Pollan: Does Whole Foods follow or lead in organic food trends?

Mackey: It's a dance. Sometimes its one, sometimes it’s the other. Contradictions exist as a result of dealing with multiple groups of people and multiple concerns. We all have contradictions and we're all guilty.

Pollan: Hopefully Whole Foods sees the increased scrutiny by journalists and other media as a good thing.

Mackey: Like competitors, critics force us to grow and make ourselves better.

2/26/2007

Since Roman times, public houses or "pubs" have served as haven and refuge for the working man. Weary from a hard day's work, men around the world gather in pubs, bars, saloons, and breweries, to quaff and commiserate with their cohorts. Although self-destructive when taken to excess, this commensal activity can provide a valuable form of group catharsis for all involved.

Pubs have also been battlegrounds in the liberation of the modern woman. Although women have been active in pub life as servers, companions, and proprietresses since the inception of the ancient alehouse, only in the past few decades has it become socially acceptable for unaccompanied women to visits pubs in order to carouse with the same abandon as their male counterparts. Having taken those hard-won, suds-stained floors, women of all stripes have embraced the communal aspects of pub culture and made it their own.

For UCI students, faculty, and Irvine residents in the surrounding neighborhoods, the Steelhead Brewing Company is the location of convenience for good beers and simple food. Started close to twenty years ago in Oregon by a diverse group of microbrew-loving businessmen, this neoteric rendition of an old world brewpub boasts of three locations in Oregon and California. Steelhead's hefty assortment of hand-crafted ales and beers offers a tempting lure for a panda looking to hole up and trade war stories with a few close friends.

One of Steelhead's biggest attractions is its cozy ambience, with high, wood beam ceilings, warm lighting, sturdy furniture, and overstuffed armchairs. Televisions mounted along the walls at regular intervals provide patrons with clear views of their favorite sporting events. The cheerful cacophony from groups of chattering regulars allows you enjoy a drink in companionable solitude, or to make as much noise as you like with friends without disturbing anyone else.

The main reason to go to any pub is for their beers. Here, Steelhead really delivers, with an assortment of brews ranging from decent to excellent. As far as I'm concerned, there's really only one drink choice for the thrifty beer aficionado; the Sampler.

You get six - count 'em - six small glasses of Steelhead's award-winning microbrews. That rings up at just under two pints worth of beer for a little over the cost of a single pint. With the Sampler, you get to try the four beers that Steelhead regularly has on tap; Hairy Weasel Hefeweizen, Barracuda Blonde, Raging Rhino Red, and the popularly named U.C.I.P.A. You also get to try their two seasonal brews, which have included such personal favorites as Lord Stanley Stout, Titanium Stout (12%!), Espresso Stout (caffeine and beer!), and Christmas Stout (taste the holly!). What can I say? Chubby pandas like stout beers.

There's a particular type of person who only goes to pubs to drink, and I have no intention of being one of those people. For someone like me, Steelhead offers a number of tasty nibbles to keep me away from the bad place. The food here isn't anything to write home about, but it offers a nice accompaniment to your brews.

One of my regular orders is a Twelve Pack of Wings. Twelve chicken wings and drumletts are floured, deep-fried, and tossed in hot sauce before being served with blue cheese dressing and a few token sticks of celery. A decent rendition of Buffalo Wings using a cute alias, the Twelve Pack of Wings is a good starter to split with friends, and offers a nice bit of heat just begging to be quenched with beer.

Mr. Big and Nahoko like to order the Mound of Fries with cheese. A pound of French fries is covered with a shredded cheese blend before serving. This dish is too heavy to be my cup of tea, but the fries are properly crispy on the outside and mealy on the inside, and the heat from the fries thoroughly melts the cheese. I didn't try any, but my friends were quite happy with this.

If I'm having dinner, I like to go for something a bit lighter. Steelhead's Smoked Salmon Appetizer makes for a satisfying meal that doesn't leave you feeling bloated. Generous pieces of hot-smoked salmon are served with toasted baguette slices, cucumber slices, leafy greens, and a zesty salsa of chopped red onions, smoked red peppers, diced fresh tomatoes, and capers. I discard the sour cream on top.

When I feel like treating myself to something more substantial, I get the Grilled Ahi Sandwich and ask that the ahi be seared on the outside and as rare as they can make it on the inside. The slab of marinated and grilled ahi is served on a whole wheat bun with the usual onion, lettuce, tomato, and pickle accompaniments. I'm not really sure what that white sauce is, but I think either sour cream or yogurt feature prominently in the recipe. It adds a nice twang to the simple flavors of the meaty sandwich. You also get a choice of fries, green salad, or Caesar salad. I get the green salad undressed with a little crumbled Blue cheese or feta on the side.

The Steelhead Brewing Company - Carrying old pub traditions into latter-day life. Relax and forget about everyday cares with hearty food and unique beer. Best enjoyed responsibly and with friends.

2/25/2007

"Every mythic hero normally has an equally mythic weapon. Zeus had his thunderbolts. Thor had his hammer, Mjolnir. King Arthur had his Excalibur. Frodo and Bilbo had their Sting. Rhydderch Hael had his Dyrnwyn. King Kong had his bananas…you get the idea. It's time for you to join the ranks of the heroes and heroines of lore as you wield your own legendary weapon in your battle against a very powerful foe: hunger."

With a description like that, you know I just had to have one. Luckily for me, my good friend, Mr. Big, thought so as well. I don't know what fiery mountain depths he forged it in, but I'm now the proud owner of a Snow PeakTitanium Spork. Look out, Thor. Watch your back, Zeus. Chubbypanda has joined your ranks. I hereby dub my spork "Sporky Coleslawfoe!"

(Japanese == Efficient)

Snow Peak has produced quality outdoor products for over 50 years. The Titanium Spork is part of their line of lightweight, durable dining equipment for extreme backpackers.

(Dishes beware!)

Since titanium is resistant to salt, corrosion, and metal fatigue, it's the perfect substance for the ultimate spork. Heck, they make jet engines, aircraft carriers, missiles, and tanks out of this stuff. What's the worst I can do to it?

(Powerful containment magics.)

It's like the first spork there ever was; raw, savage, primal, and noble. The spork against which all other sporks will forever be measured. The god-spork.

(Everything I dreamed it could be.)

At last, a spork large enough and strong enough to hold the perfect mouthful. Just wait until I get me some KFC coleslaw.

2/21/2007

Suanne from Chow Times recently posted a great recipe for Hong Shao Ji (Red Cooked Chicken), a dish from the Fujian province of China made by braising chicken in an infused soy sauce broth. It reminded me of a similar dish, San Bei Ji (Three Cup Chicken/Basil Chicken), which is extremely popular in Taiwan. Since roughly 70% of Taiwanese, including myself, are ultimately descended from immigrants from the Fujian province, the two recipes use many of the same ingredients. San Bei Ji is a slow-braised fricassee also made using an infused soy sauce broth, which is reduced down to an unctuous gravy and served with the chicken. It's called "Three Cup Chicken" because the basic recipe requires a cup of soy sauce, a cup of rice wine, and a cup of sesame oil. It's sometimes translated as "Basil Chicken" since the Taiwanese version includes copious amounts of fresh Thai basil. My version of San Bei Ji takes the traditional recipe taught to me by my mother and cuts out a good amount of fat by combining it with some French cooking techniques usually used for dishes like Coq Au Vin. I've also added a few extra ingredients for added punch. The resulting San Bei Ji is full of flavor, but much healthier. I consider it Taiwanese Coq Au Vin.

Mix the flour and five spice powder together in the shallow container. Add the chicken drumsticks and toss until each piece of chicken is thoroughly coated. Shake the excess flour off of the drumsticks and set the drumsticks aside.

Instructions:

Using your wok, heat the 6 cups of vegetable oil. I don't actually use an oil thermometer, so I can't tell you the exact temperature of the oil. The heat setting I use is medium-high, and I let the oil heat for at least ten minutes. Faint wisps of smoke should come off of it. If you stick a wooden chopstick into the oil, small air bubbles should gather on the chopstick fairly quickly. You can also drop a small piece of bread into the oil, which should bubble rapidly. If the bread burns quickly, the oil is too hot. If it doesn't bubble rapidly, it's too cool.

In small batches, deep-fry the chicken and the garlic until light brown. Don't leave either ingredient in the oil too long. You're not trying to cook them, just get some nice caramelization. Strain each batch of chicken or garlic, then set aside.

If you don't like deep-frying, you can also heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large, non-stick pan and brown the chicken and garlic in small batches. I like the depth of flavor deep-frying gives. Plus, we're cutting 3/4 of a cup of sesame oil from the classic recipe. However, pan-browning the chicken and garlic is much healthier, and you'll still get most of the flavor.

Set the frying oil aside in an appropriate container to cool. Later, you can strain it and store it in an airtight vessel until the next time you need to fry something. Wipe your wok clean with a paper towel. Use chopsticks, the ladle, or a pair of tongs to hold and move the towel. Be safe.

Heat your wok on high heat for several minutes. You want the metal as hot as your stove can make it. I wouldn't recommend anything with plastic handles or a Teflon coat for this style of cooking. Add 1 tbsp of fresh vegetable oil and use the ladle to spread it around the bottom of your wok.

Once the oil starts smoking, add the ginger and chilies. Stir rapidly for a few seconds using the ladle, coating each piece with oil. Then add the 1/4 cup of sesame oil. Keep stirring the aromatics as the oil comes back up to temperature.

Once the oil begins bubbling rapidly, add the rice wine, soy sauce mixture, chicken, garlic, and enough of the water to just cover the chicken. Let the liquid come to a boil, then drop the heat to medium or medium-low and let it simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens and reduces by half.

Gently fold in the green onions and Thai basil leaves. Let simmer for a five more minutes before removing the wok from the heat. The chicken should be falling-off-the-bone tender.

Best served with steamed rice or Chinese noodles. You'll probably end up with more sauce than you need, so freeze the leftover liquid and use for pasta at a later date.

Good eating!

-=Addendum 02/27/2007 at 1:09AM=-

I'm adding my simpler, classic San Bei Gi recipe to this post for my good buddy, Elmomonster. Please try them both out and decide which one you like best.

Heat the vegetable oil to smoking in the wok. Add the garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, and chicken. Bring to a boil, then drop the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce reduces by at least half. Remove from heat, stir in the Thai basil leaves, and serve.

2/20/2007

(Apologies for the picture quality. My camera doesn't play nicely with low light.)

Xing Nian Kuai Le! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

I love Chinese New Year. In my family, it was the one major celebration we had, rolling together Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Western New Year. It was a time of gathering and celebration. On super special years, we'd even fly back to Taiwan to celebrate with extended family and relatives.

Chinese New Year began as a festival in honor of surviving the previous year. As legend has it, a fierce beast named Nian (Year) would come out every twelve months to ravage the Chinese countryside. Its favorite food was humans, who had no real defense against it. However, Nian was frightened by bright colors, loud noises, and red things. So at the end of the twelve month cycle, the people would decorate liberally using the color red, set off fireworks, and make a lot of noise in order to scare the monster away. A great feast was then held to celebrate surviving monster for another year. The phrase for celebrating the New Year, Guo Nian, literally means being passed over by the year.

Since my parents had decided to spend Chinese New Year in Taiwan this year, and since my siblings were busy studying for exams, Cat and I were on our own. I whipped up a big spread for the two of us for Chinese New Years Eve on Saturday. I thought I'd share some of the foods and traditions of my family with you.

The Chinese New Year feast is typically prepared during the late afternoon. As the sun begins to set, the table is laid with all kinds of delicious and symbolic delicacies, and the doors and windows of the house are thrown open to welcome good fortune. The family assembles in front of the table, dressed in finery with at least one red item of clothing, since red frightens away demons and malicious spirits.

Before the food can be eaten, however, it needs to be offered to our ancestors. Three cups of rice wine are poured; one in remembrance of the past, one in thanks for the present, and one in hope for the future. Three special sticks of incense are lit to be used in prayer to our ancestors. As the smoke from the incense rises to Heaven, it carries with it our fond wishes for those who went before us, our thanks for their blessing and protection, and our request that they continue to watch over us and intervene for us in the court of the Emperor of Heaven.

Once the prayer is done, the incense is stuck upright in a bowl of rice and left to burn. Rice is used since it's the most important staple grain in Chinese culture, and must be provided as part of the offering. It is believed that the spirits of our ancestors have followed the smoke from the incense back to partake in the New Year feast spiritually. While the incense burns down, the family waits in respectful silence. This time is traditionally used for memories of dear, departed relatives, and for personal introspection. Once the incense is finished burning, the festivities begin!

We've always celebrated the New Year with either Luo Buo Gao (Daikon Cake) or Yu Tou Gao (Taro Cake). This year, I went with the Luo Buo Gao, which is a savory, steamed cake made using shredded daikon, rice flour, Chinese sausage, and Chinese dried shrimp. The cake is cut into squares and fried before serving to give is a nice, crisp surface. If there's a symbolic meaning to these cakes, I'm not aware of it. It's just a family tradition. This Luo Buo Gao was purchased at Kawaii Bakery, a Taiwanese bakery near my office in Huntington Beach, and was particularly tasty.

A whole chicken, including the head and feet, is always served. The chicken represents complete prosperity for the entire family, and can not be cut. I picked this Jiang You Ji (Soy Sauce Chicken) up from the Sam Woo in Irvine. It's one of my favorite dishes.

Another traditional must have on the New Year table is a whole fish, including the head and tail. The fish represents abundance with a play on words from the phrase Nian nian you yu (Abundance throughout the year). The words for "abundance" and "fish" sound the same, so it's believed that if you eat fish during the New Year, you'll experience abundance throughout the year. I like to use shisamo (Japanese gravid smelt), which I lightly brush with rice bran oil and broil in the oven. I sprinkle the fish with sea salt before plating.

Dumplings are always eaten during the New Year for two reasons; the act of wrapping them is seen as similar to wrapping up luck and the finished product resembles ancient Chinese gold ingots. I've always gone with store-bought, since wrapping dumplings without family, read as "without slave labor", takes too long. The yellow dumplings have egg wrappers around a ground beef filling. The white dumplings have wrappers made from cuttlefish skin surrounding a filling of cuttlefish paste.

My family has traditionally enjoyed our dumplings cooked in a Chinese hot pot. For my cooking broth, I used a homemade beef stock, the recipe of which I'll post at a later date. I also included some thinly sliced beef rib eye to round out the flavor and noodles (not shown) for long life.

Long leafy greens are eaten to wish long life for a person's parents. The leaves should not be cut, since that would symbolize cutting short your parents' lives. This year, I decided to use Thai basil. The leaves were plucked whole from the stems placed in the hot pot, adding additional depth to the broth.

I also purchased meatballs for my hot pot. Meatballs symbolize happy reunions for the whole family, and the hope that all family members will be able to meet again for the next New Year. This is another mainstay of my family's New Year's feast and particularly poignant for me, since my family was scattered this year.

Mushrooms are believed to help fulfill the good wishes of the diner, which is why I include them in my hot pot. My family usually gets enokitake mushrooms. This year, I bought giant shimeiji mushrooms because Cat thought they'd be fun to eat. They were, although they were really meaty. I also included limes to be used in flavoring the broth, and for the reasons listed in the next section.

Citrus fruits are always included in the meal, since it's believed that they bring luck. As with the oranges on my table, they'll often be provided in groupings of eight, since the Cantonese word for "eight" has the exact same sound as the word for "prosperity". The citrus fruits therefore represent luck and prosperity for the family, and are eaten near the end of the meal.

A traditional New Year dessert is the Nian Gao (Sticky Cake), which is a sweet, steamed cake made with rice flour. As with the daikon cake, the Nian Gao is sliced into blocks and fried to crisp the outside and soften the inside before eating. This one contained red dates, which symbolize early prosperity and all good things. I picked it up from the Champion Foods in Irvine. It had been made the night before, and was delightful.

Another traditional New Year dessert is Ba Bao Fan (Eight Treasures Rice), which is a sweet rice dish made with glutinous rice and topped with eight different symbolic delicacies. This store-bought one had a red date for early prosperity, candied tangerine peels for luck, candied coconut for togetherness, candied kumquats for gold, longans for many sons, lotus seeds for children, red bean paste for luck, and lychees for a strong family tree.

After the meal, tea is served and diners pick from a selection of candied snacks. The meal always ends with these sweets in the hopes that the family will have a sweet year. The snack trays are always store-bought, since making the snacks is a long, involved process.

But what about the evil monster? Well, fireworks aren't allowed in Irvine, so this was the best I could do. Take that, Nian!

I hope you all enjoyed reading about some of my family's traditional eats for the Chinese New Year. Once again, have a happy New Year!

2/15/2007

(My posting frequency has dropped in the past few weeks since we started working six day weeks at the office. My average work day now lasts about 10-14 hours, so finding the motivation to do more than drop into bed when I get home is difficult. I'll try to pick up the pace a little, but no promises. "Crunch time" is a real motivation killer.)

It's an odd, but true, fact that although I dated a number of women before I met Cat, she was the first girlfriend with whom I ever celebrated Valentine's Day. She's a sweet, patient, and wonderful woman, and she makes me a very happy man. I'm constantly thankful to be with her after all these years, which I demonstrate by teasing her unmercifully. Did I mention that she's patient?

Our first Valentine's Day was a fiasco. My family was visiting and, in the chaos, I completely forgot about the holiday. It wasn't until I found a loving note from Cat on the windshield of my car that I remembered. After I saw my family off, I returned home to find a bouquet of irises that she'd bought for me. What did I have for her? Empty hands and a lame excuse. I still consider myself lucky that she didn't break up with me. I mentioned that she's patient, right?

I've learned many things since my "freshman" Valentine's Day, not the least of which has been how to treat a lady on this special occasion. Cat is not a demanding Valentine. She values the emotion the holiday is supposed to honor, not the trappings that normally surround it. Through the years, we've settled on a formula that works well for us. We exchange flowers and small gifts, then have a nice dinner out. This year, we chose the prix fixe Valentine's Day menu at 6ix Park Grill.

Nestled inside of the Hyatt Regency Irvine, 6ix Park Grill is home to Yves Fournier, a French chef with a strong focus on contemporary California cuisine and a pedigree that includes the Rockefeller Center's famed Rainbow Room in New York City. Chef Fournier's creations highlight the freshness and quality of his ingredients. His sophisticated preparations present each key component with breathtaking boldness. When you take a bite of one of his buffalo steaks, you know you're eating grass-fed American plains bovine. You can taste the primal goodness as each and every one of the raised bumps on your tongue shimmy with delight. The seasonings and sauces used are designed to elevate each star ingredient to new heights, not mask it in a wash of conflicting sensations. Chef Fournier's pride and joy is his applewood-fired oven/grill, which he uses for a majority of his dishes. The pure flavors of the food are further highlighted by the aromatic, smoky flavor of the wood, creating a result that never fails to captivate me.

Cat has always been very fond of the Snuffles line of Gund bears. Her very first baby toy was a dark brown Snuffles, and she's been collecting them ever since. As a surprise for this Valentine's Day, I bought a pair of white Snuffles bears and dropped them off at the restaurant a few hours early so that they'd be waiting for her at the table when we arrived.

As you can see, she absolutely hated this idea; so much so that she hugged her bear immediately. She later named it "Parsnip Clark". I named mine "Squash Veloute", for reasons that will become apparent later in this review.

Although the menu listed an Amuse Bouche, none was presented, which disappointed me. However, complimentary red roses and champagne Aperitifs were provided. The champagne was dry and quite palatable.

(When Cat and I order prix fixe menus, we usually choose different ones so we can taste each other's dishes. This night, though, we ended up wanting the exact same dishes. Please keep in mind that we got two of every dish you see below except the dessert.)

We started off with a First Course of Wood Grilled Shrimp and Humboldt Fog Crostini with pomegranate chili sauce and tomato jam. 6ix Park Grill is known for serving Pacific white shrimp a delicacy whose fine flesh and subtle sweetness often escape the average diner. The grilled white shrimp in this appetizer was sublime. The seasoning had permeated throughout the meat, with just enough saltiness to accentuate the white shrimp's natural flavor. The pomegranate chili sauce didn't have much of an impact, but I was already more than happy with my Pacific white shrimp.

Humboldt Fog is a mold-ripened goat cheese made in Humboldt County, California by Cypress Grove Chervre. Melted on top of the toasted crostini, it had a rich, complex flavor reminiscent of a cross between classic Chervre and Cambozola. However, the real star of the plate was the mildly sweet tomato jam, which was simply amazing when paired with the crostini. I had no idea tomatoes and sugar could taste so good. A big jar of that tomato jam and a baguette is now my dream dinner after a long day's work.

Our appetites thus awakened, we were more than ready for the Kuri Squash and Parsnip Veloute with crème fraiche that we'd selected as out Second Course. A generous helping of robust squash veloute shared a dish with an equally voluminous, yet softer parsnip veloute. This deliciously metaphoric medley created a palate pleasing, yin-yang harmony in our mouths. The poetic similarities between the soup and relationships were not lost on us, which was why we named our teddy bears "Parsnip Clark" and "Squash Veloute".

While we waited for the Third Course, we were served small plates of 6ix Park Grill's much touted artisan breads. The crisp, cheese-covered lavash on the right was pleasantly flavorful, although a little hard to chew. The crusty garlic focaccia on the left was airy and chewy, with soft cloves of roasted garlic baked right into the bread. Neither bread needed any butter, although I really wanted some more tomato jam.

For our Third Course, we selected the Coq au Vin with pearl onions, winter mushrooms, and a Burgundy wine sauce. Chef Yves Fournier's talent at contemporary California cuisine really shone through in this dish. Traditional coq au vin is a slowly braised dish made with chicken, salt pork, red wine, and mushrooms, and is typically served over egg noodles with generous helpings of the resulting gravy. Chef Fournier's version stepped away from the almost overpowering presence of wine in the classic coq au vin. Instead, half a small chicken was deboned, marinated, and roasted in his applewood-fired oven. The chicken was then glazed with a red wine reduction sauce and served on a bed of olive oil sautéed greens, winter mushrooms, and seasonal vegetables. All of the traditional flavor elements were present, but presented in an entirely new way that emphasized the natural flavors of each ingredient. Absolutely delicious.

Our Fourth Course was billed as Chocolate Mousse Napoleon with white chocolate ganache. What we received wasn't quite the same, but was just as good. The heart on the left was white chocolate ganache filled with a white chocolate mousse over vanilla genoise. The heart on the right was a layered berry napoleon with berry gelatin, berry cream, and berry mousse over berry genoise. The desserts were a little sweet for my taste, but Cat really enjoyed them. My favorite was the berry napoleon, with its different textures and berry flavors.

Sleepy after our feast and barely able to move, we sipped our complementary Digestifs silently and enjoyed just being with one another. It was a pleasant ending to a perfect evening.

6ix Park Grill - The clean, crisp flavors of contemporary California cuisine with a decidedly French twist. The portions are a good size, the ambience is inviting, the wait staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the food is excellent. The ROI for the Valentine's Day prix fixe was about average for a high-end restaurant, but not every place can offer value like Opus. I was quite satisfied.

2/08/2007

Both Wandering Chopsticks and Ben & Suanne from Chow Times have tagged me for the "Five Things People Don't Know About You" meme that's been going around. Thank you guys for tagging me for this. It was a lot of fun.

Here goes:

(Guess which one I am.)

Certain readers have emailed me asking me if I'm Chinese or Japanese, since my blog icon is a samurai panda. I'm an American citizen, born and raised, but I'm ethnically Taiwanese-Chinese. I'm also a nine-year practitioner of the Kashima Shinto-Ryu and Katori Shinto-Ryu styles of Iaido, the modern day antecedent of Battoujutsu, which began as battle techniques centered around drawing and striking with the sword in one fluid movement. My current heavy work schedule, and the fact that the dojo I used to attend decided to switch sword schools after our sensei retired, has limited my ability to train in the past few years. However, I still run through kata at least once a week in our company's racquetball court. My brother drew the samurai panda picture on a whim a few years back. I liked it so much, I decided to use it as my blog icon.

(Friend and team mate, TC, and I at the Stanford Invitational in 1996.)

In high school, I was captain on the Speech & Debate team. As a result, I have a tendency to enjoy argument for argument's sake. I've been known to argue positions that I don't believe in simply for fun. I enjoy the battles of wits and the verbal repartee. This is a bad habit I've been trying to break for years.

(Even Cat's shadow is sexy.)

Before university, I only dated Asian girls. This wasn't by design, since there were a number of non-Asian girls I was attracted to. It just seemed to work out that way. Ironically, while attending the University of California, Irvine, which is known for its high percentage of Asian students, my girlfriends were all Caucasian. Since one of those girlfriends is now my lovely fiancée, Cat, I have no complaints.

I'm the first son of the first son, and the oldest of my generation in a very very large, extended family. Loosely translated, my Chinese name means "origin of the source", which pretty much tells you what my grandfather expects of me. My job is to have lots and lots of kids and lead the family after my grandfather and father. Since Cat and I aren't sure we want kids right now, this places quite a bit of pressure on us. However, I'm determined to avoid having a child for the wrong reasons.

(UCI's Humanities Instructional Building at night.)

My interest in food and food history was really ignited at UCI, when I had the opportunity to take a class on food history with Professor Yong Chen. A respected expert in food history and Asian American studies, Professor Chen ignited a lasting passion in me for all things food. If you're interested in Chinese-American history, I highly recommend his book, Chinese San Francisco, 1850-1943: A Trans-Pacific Community. It's a great read. I should note that Professor Chen and I became good friends while I was at UCI, and continue to maintain our relationship. As such, my opinion of his book may have been influenced by my respect for him.

Since a number of my blogger buddies, such as Kirk from mmm-yoso!!!, Elmomonster of Monster Munching, and Rasa Malaysia, have already been tagged, I thought I'd tag a few more of my favorite bloggers whom I would love to learn more about. If I'm not mistaken, I only get to tag five, otherwise I'd just tag everyone on my blogroll. I love you all!

Kathy of A Passion for Food - She's cute, smart, vivacious, and destined for great things in the world of corporate finance. What dark secrets lurk within her candy-coated shell of perkiness? The truth is out there.

KT of Gastronomy 101 - Litigating defender of the elderly by day, passionate food enthusiast and student of Oenology by night. I'm dying to read more about this sexy LA lawyer and food blogger. That is, assuming she doesn't hunt me down and kick my ass for this intro.

Henry of henrychan's Food Videos - Youtube sensation and food blogger extraordinaire, Henry isn't afraid to show the public his handsome face as he and his giggling camerawoman explore the tasty treats available in Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. Time to spill the beans, Henry. Your fans await!

Steen of Side Order of Ham - Delicious recipes with a quirky side of humor, Steen captivates me on a weekly basis with her homey and decadent dishes. I must know more.

Tokyoastrogirl of Tuna Toast - Her food is gorgeous, her writing is innocent and sweet, and her hubby plays in a band. This rockin' bombshell must have a tale or two to tell. Time to share, honey. Dish! Dish!

Thanks again to Wandering Chopsticks, Ben, and Suanne for tagging me. I had a blast. As a side note, I just ate three tubs of che from Banh Mi Che Cali and I'm incredibly wired, which should explain some of those intros. Darn you, Kathy!!!